Lord Deben - f. Environment Secretary and Conservative Chairman

John Gummer, Baron Deben, PC is a British Conservative politician and life peer.During a distinguished ministerial career spanning three decades, he served as Chairman of the Conservative Party (1983–1985), Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1989–1993), and Secretary of State for the Environment (1993–1997) under Prime Minister John Major.

He represented Lewisham West (1970–1974) and Suffolk Coastal (1979–2010) in the House of Commons before being elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Deben in 2010, subsequently serving as Chairman of the independent Climate Change Committee (2012–2023).

Among his principal achievements in government, he introduced the Environment Act 1995 and the Landfill Tax — the UK's first dedicated environmental tax — and played a central role in shaping the country's approach to sustainable development and environmental policy.

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